RatcatcherJames McGee
HARPER
£6.99
"Let me tell you about that man. That man was a soldier, an officer in the 95th Rifles. You've heard of them, I take it? Hardest regiment in the whole bloody army. He's killed more men than you've supped pints of ale and he was the finest officer I ever served under. You see that scar under his eye? He got that pulling me out of the way of a Frog Husser. Took a cut from a sabre that was meant for me."
Mathew Hawkwood - a dark and mysterious Bow Street Runner policing the violent, crime ridden streets of Regency London in his debut adventure from James McGee.
I have to rave about this book - The Mathew Hawkwood character is the most original fictional policeman in a long time - Part Sharpe, part James Bond and part Batman. He is all of these and much more besides. And the London he operates in is brilliant realised - not that I know that much about this particular historical period but as I read I could smell the stench of the ancient streets, hear the sounds of a bustling city and I was left eager for more of this character.
As soon as I finished this book, which has been on my shelf, for a few months I rushed out and bought the second and third in the series. I plan to read these back to back starting tomorrow.
The books are billed as historical crime but they are more historical adventures with an almost supernatural tinge to the narrative. Just enough is revealed of Hawkwood to keep the reader enthralled but more importantly, much more is hinted at which creates the feeling that there is something beyond the normal, something even otherworldly, about Mathew Hawkwood.
I think I'd call this my book of the year. It's certainly the most exciting thing I've read in a long while and I'm eager to get on with the further adventures of Mathew Hawkwood.
9 comments:
Wow, book of the year! That's saying something given the amount you read. :)
This is excellent.
I also love the title: The Ratcatcher.
If you like adventure thrillers then you owe it to yourself to read this. This character is going to become massive - he'd work in movies and graphic novels. Mark my words in a few years Mathew Hawkwood will be an iconic fictional character.
The book is also old fashioned in a sense that the character owes a lot to the old pulp characters.
Okay, I'm taking your word for it. I've ordered a copy.
Well, Bill, you won't be wasting your money. The Hawkwood stories are brilliant - and I can understand why Gary enthuses over the first book. 'Ratcatcher' was one of those 'rare' books that made it on to my bookshelf.
The 95th Rifles always but me in mind of Berdan's Sharpshooters.
Ray - I'm currently reading Resurrectionist - and it's as good, hundred pages in so far, as ratcatcher. I've a feeling about this series and I think the first editions are worth keeping in mint condition. I can imagine this on the big screen - cast someone like Clive Owen in the title role and you'd have a long running franchise.
So there I was walking past the library...moments later out I came with this book in hand...
Steve M - let me know what you think of this one.
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